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MONTICELLO, Minn. -- Months of planning at the Monticello nuclear plant will be put into practice when spent nuclear fuel is moved from an indoor pool to new above-ground storage. The Prairie Island nuclear plant in Red Wing already uses outdoor dry-cask storage. The Monticello casks will go into concrete storage modules. The storage area is surrounded by two chain-link fences and monitored by cameras and other security devices. Moving the spent fuel will allow Xcel Energy to continue operating the plant for another 30 years, project manager Mark McKeown said.

A 29-year-old Duluth man was arrested early Wednesday after calling police with a cell phone from a purse he's accused of stealing. A reporter told Duluth police Sgt. Don Boso that it didn't appear that the suspect arrested by Officer Kristina Schulte early Wednesday has a prior criminal record in Minnesota. "If this is his start, he should end his career now,'' Boso deadpanned. According to police, a 26-year-old woman said the man asked her for a cigarette at Horseshoe Billiards in Lincoln Park/West Duluth about 12:22 a.m. Wednesday.

After months of preparation and weeks of presentations, UMore park concept plans were unveiled last week at a public forum at the Rosemount Community Center. The University of Minnesota revealed four concept plans for the UMore park property earlier this month to the university board of regents.

The Beltrami County Sheriff's Office has issued an "attempt to locate" on a 27-year-old Bemidji woman who has not been seen for at least six days. According to the Sheriff's Office report, it was reported Monday that Lisbeth Rogers had not been seen in six days. She was last seen at the Beltrami County Jail picking up money and car keys from an inmate. She may be driving a silver 2000 Mitsubishi Gallant, the report said.

ROSEMOUNTY -- UMore Park is about to take the next step in its transformation to a new University of Minnesota-sponsored community. The U of M has finished several of its concept designs for what the UMore park property could look like 25 years from now. They will be shown to the public June 19 and 23 with presentations starting at 6 p.m. each day at the Rosemount Community Center.

Lynsay Leigh Nieman, 25, of Hastings, died peacefully Sunday morning, June 22, 2008, at her home with her family by her side. Since February 2006, Lynsay has been living with colon cancer. She is now cancer- and pain-free. The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, June 27, 2008, at Cottage Grove United Church of Christ, 7008 Lamar Ave, Cottage Grove. Visitation is from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 26, 2008, at Kok Funeral Home 1201 Portland Ave. St. Paul Park, Minn., and also one hour prior to service at church. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.

ST. PAUL -- Minnesota's 150th birthday has come and gone, but the celebration - and history lesson - lasts all summer. That is the Minnesota Sesquicentennial Commission's message as it touts hundreds of events scheduled around the state in the coming weeks and months to commemorate 150 years of statehood. More than 90 events are scheduled yet this month and another 500 are planned for July, said Jane Leonard, the commission's executive director. At least one event is planned in each of Minnesota's 87 counties.

A Farmington man got a rude awakening Wednesday morning after lighting struck and set his house on fire. Terry Nutter had worked a night shift and was asleep around 10 a.m. in his home on the 500 block of Lower Heritage Way. A loud clap of thunder woke him briefly, but he fell back to sleep. His dog, however, was wide awake and roused Nutter from his slumber. He was still a little groggy, he said, until he noticed his bedroom window was on fire. Nutter tried to call 911 from his landline, but the phone was dead.

The Iron Range celebrated two large-scale, innovative projects on Wednesday, and officials touted the projects as symbols of a new economy emerging in northern Minnesota. Gov. Tim Pawlenty spoke at the dedication of the Taconite Ridge wind farm on U.S. Steel property north of Virginia and at a celebration of progress at the Mesabi Nugget processing plant near Embarrass. "This is part of a renaissance on the Range," Pawlenty said, speaking of both projects.